Haunt / SL build DPS rotation questionFollow

Like most dps classes now, there isn't so much a rotation as a prioritization system. The typical affliction initial rotation is:

Haunt -> Corruption (Corr) -> Unstable Affliction (UA) -> Curse of Agony (CoA) -> Shadowbolt (SB)

Then you prioritize refreshing DoTs and casting as such:

Haunt > Corr > UA > CoA > SB spam

I picked CoA because you specified heroics. This rotation/prioritization is aimed toward the bosses in heroics. The trash on heroics will usually be going down fast, so just try to DoT up the mobs with CoA quickly and then use Seed of Corruption to AoE them down.

Because of Shadow Embrace don't you want to cast SB to start followed by Haunt then get into the priority system? Which would be throw up CoA, Corr then UA. After which Corr just rolls and you just refresh, UA, CoA, Haunt on CD/when fall off and use SB as filler?

By looking at his specific spec the most optimal 5-man boss rot imo is:

1. haunt - coa - corr - ua - haunt - sb.

2. coa - haunt - corr - ua - sb - haunt.

With priority: Haunt > Corr > UA > CoElements > SB filler.

The reason for putting CoA up as early as possible is that you want it to get to it's stronger ticks as early as possible. I prefer to replace it with elements after it expires because it's likely that on it's second run CoA will not reach it's last tick. Besides he has to have amplify curse or his spec would be pointless. And in a 5-man group where there are at least 2 casters CoElements might help more than CoA.

The reason why you don't care if Haunt is up during the first tick of CoA is that the first tick of CoA sucks anyways, you dont prioritize it for being strong but for wanting it's stronger ticks to come sooner.

However you might care about rotations for PuGs just in case you get the nearly impossible event (cough cough) of having both of your DPS get killed early in the fight leaving the full DPS duty on you and the tank. Not that it would ever happen ever...

As for shadow embrace my personal number crunching done ages ago concludes that: Shadow Embrace does very little until after all of your DoTs are already up (duh!). It puzzles me that some people waste all that time building up shadow embrace before putting up the DoTs when the DPS would escalate earlier if you put all the DoTs before Shadow Embrace.



In heroics the massive AoE damage from other party members will cause the seeds to blow up early, the most I get to rotate trough is 3 mobs, but most of the time 2-1 mobs. Even the damage from the tank. Most of the time you can have the Seeds explode almost instantly by just spamming seed on the tank's target. You do lose DPCT from not letting it do it's DoT effect, but you gain DPS from getting the explossions every 2 sec.

The downside of Seed spam is that you're burning madly trough your mana while at the same time not using any self-healing effects. This is null if you get collateral healing like ret paladins or chain heals. Otherwise you end up having to mix your seeding with haunts and maybe even drainlife. Or you could just stress your PuG healer for it if you're feeling you got a good one.


Edited, May 11th 2010 1:00pm by xorq